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Three-dimensional digitizing and anatomic study of lumbar vertebral canal and pedicle in children

Xing Wang^1,2, Shao-Jie Zhang^1,2, Yuan-Zhi Zhang^2,3

¹Teaching and Researching Institute of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Hohhot, China.

Wideochirurgia I Inne Techniki Maloinwazyjne = Videosurgery and Other Miniinvasive Techniques

|December 8, 2018

Insights

Pediatric lumbar vertebral pedicle (LVP) dimensions increase with age, crucial for accurate screw placement in spinal fixation. Understanding these growth patterns aids surgical planning and improves outcomes.

Area of Science:

Pediatric Orthopedics
Spinal Surgery
Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

Spinal pedicle screw fixation is common in adults but challenging in children due to anatomical variations and smaller pedicles.
High surgical risks associated with pediatric pedicle screw placement necessitate improved accuracy.
Digitized and individualized screwing concepts are significant for pediatric spinal fixation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the morphology and development of lumbar vertebral pedicles (LVP) in children aged 6-11 years.
To establish a theoretical foundation for pediatric screw implantation and biomechanical research.
To understand aging characteristics of pediatric LVPs.

Main Methods:

Selected 60 children aged 6-11 years for analysis.
Conducted intergroup measurements and statistical analysis of lumbar and pedicle dimensions.
Utilized 3D digital reconstruction technology to observe LVP morphology.

Main Results:

Lumbar diameter, pedicle diameter, screw canal length (SCL), pedicle height (PH), vertebral foramen diameter (ID), and sagittal diameter (SD) showed an increasing trend with age.
Observed clear developmental patterns in spinal canal and pedicle morphology across different lumbar segments.
Pedicle dimensions increase with age and vertebral level in children aged 6-11.

Conclusions:

Lumbar vertebral pedicle morphology in children follows distinct developmental patterns.
3D digital reconstruction aids in understanding pediatric LVP characteristics.
Clinical applications should tailor treatment protocols to specific LVP features for optimal outcomes.

Read full analysis

Abstract

Introduction:

Spinal pedicle screw internal fixation has been widely used in adult spine injury fixation. Due to being in a period of continuous growth and development, the spine of children at different ages shows different characteristics from adults in terms of anatomy, physiological function, and biomechanics. Furthermore, because the pedicle of children is small, has large anatomic variation, and has complex adjacent relationships, the surgical risk is extremely high. How to improve the screwing accuracy is the key to the success of children's pedicle internal fixation. Therefore, applying the concept of digitized and individualized screwing will be of great significance to children's pedicle screwing.

Aim:

To investigate the morphologies, development patterns, and aging characteristics of the lumbar vertebral pedicle (LVP) in children aged 6-11 years, and to provide a theoretical basis for screw implantation and related biomechanical studies.

Material And Methods:

A total of 60 children aged 6-11 years were selected for the intergroup measurement and statistical analysis of their lumbar diameter, pedicle diameter, screw canal length (SCL), etc.

Results:

Generally, the vertebral foramen diameter (ID), sagittal diameter (SD), pedicle width (PW), and SCL as well as the pedicle height (PH) exhibited an increasing trend with age and increasing vertebral sequence among children aged 6-11 years.

Conclusions:

By observing the LVP in children using 3D digital reconstruction technology, the morphology of the spinal canal and pedicles at different lumbar segments showed obvious development patterns, and the best treatment protocol should be selected according to the LVP characteristics in clinical applications.

Keywords:

3D reconstruction measurement children lumbar vertebra morphologic characteristics pedicle

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